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Total Immersion

An unused basement is transformed into a world-class home theater — and more.

Hidden beneath a suburban home in Oregon, Wisconsin, is a world-class, fully immersive home theater that was built from the ground up to deliver a cinematic experience that rivals any multiplex. For homeowner Tyler Grigg, this wasn’t just another basement remodel. This was an obsession realized — a project designed to push the limits of what’s possible in home entertainment.

Griggs Home Theater - Screen

“I didn’t just want a theater — I wanted total immersion,” Grigg explains. “I wanted to feel like I’m inside the movie, not just watching it.”

With Audio Contractors LLC and Dream House Dream Kitchens leading the charge, an empty lower-level walkout basement was transformed into a technological masterpiece, designed around a cinema-first experience.

All About the Theater

From the beginning, one rule defined the project: everything in the basement would revolve around the theater. Every decision — acoustics, lighting, even structural elements — was made to enhance the cinematic experience.

Grigg Home Theater - Seats

At the heart of it all is a Sony VPL-XW5000ES 4K laser projector, mounted overhead, beaming pristine, ultra-high-definition images onto a 115-inch Zero Edge 16:9 fixed screen from Screen Innovations. The result? Deep contrast, vibrant colors, and a picture so crisp it feels almost three-dimensional.

But what truly separates this space from other high-end home theaters is the sound. A 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos system delivers sonic realism, with audio traveling across the room, over your head, and behind you just as the director intended. Revel W553L in-wall speakers form the front soundstage, while Revel W553L in-wall surrounds expand the immersive bubble and Revel C263 in-ceiling Atmos speakers ensure that sounds like rain, helicopters, and overhead movement feel completely lifelike.

Three REL subwoofers anchor the low end, delivering deep, powerful, and balanced bass across the room. Dual REL Acoustics HT/1205 MKII (“The Cannon”) subs flank the front stage, giving explosions and music scores theater-grade depth. A REL T/5x subwoofer, dedicated to the center channel, adds weight and realism to dialog, footsteps, and subtle low-frequency effects.

Grigg Home Theater - Bar

Powering it all is an Anthem MRX 1140 8K AV receiver, a flagship-grade processor that ensures lossless, high-fidelity Dolby Atmos and DTS:X playback.

To optimize every seat, Audio Contractors utilized Anthem Room Correction —a precision audio calibration system that measures the room’s acoustics and fine-tunes the speaker outputs.

“We didn’t just install high-end speakers and call it a day,” says Kris Hodgkins, general manager at Audio Contractors. “We used ARC to optimize the theater for every seating position, making sure the sound was as pure and dynamic as possible — no matter where you’re sitting.”

And because immersion demands silence, the room was fully soundproofed with dense-pack cellulose insulation, Mass Loaded Vinyl along the back wall, and extra-thick pocket doors, ensuring that not a single decibel escapes the theater.

“When we fire this system up, we’re talking reference-level theater volume,” says Grigg. “But upstairs? You won’t hear a thing.”

Beyond the Theater

But this basement wasn’t built just for movies — it’s a fully connected smart entertainment ecosystem where every room feels like an extension of the theater.

Grigg Home Theater - Family Room

The living area features a 2024 75-inch Samsung Frame TV that seamlessly blends into the modern décor and syncs with the theater and game room for multi-zone sports viewing. Klipsch RP-500M II bookshelf speakers, chosen for their audiophile-quality sound and stylish design, complete the space.

In the game room, there is a 2024 43-inch Samsung Frame TV paired with Revel C283 in-ceiling speakers that ensures gaming and sports sound just as immersive as in the theater.

The bar area is outfitted with Revel C283 in-ceiling speakers, allowing music, movies, and games to seamlessly extend beyond the theater walls.

Grigg Home Theater - Fireplace

When it’s game day, the entire system syncs with a single command, transforming the entire basement into a multi-zone sports lounge, with all three screens playing in perfect unison.

“At any moment, we can run independent sources in each room or link them all together,” says Grigg. “It’s completely seamless.”

The magic behind this integration? Control4 Core 3 home automation, replacing the home’s legacy HC800 controller from 2009. Now, everything — from lights to audio zones to TV sync — can be controlled from Neeo remotes, iPhones, Control4 keypads, or T4 wall-mounted touchscreens.

Designed to Last

Ensuring flawless, uninterrupted performance, all AV components are housed in a Strong FS Series rack system, complete with rack-mounted cooling fans. Additional key infrastructure includes:

  • Araknis Networks AN-210-SW-R-24-POE (a Websmart Gigabit Switch with Partial PoE+)
  • SurgeX SA-15 (an EMI/RFI filtering power conditioner)
  • 2024 Roku Ultra HD 4K HDR (for premium high-bitrate streaming)

“Having a professionally built AV rack isn’t just about organization — it’s about reliability,” says Hodgkins. “This setup ensures the system stays cool, protected, and future-proofed for years to come.”

Griggs Home Theater – Rack

A Passion Project Realized

For Grigg, this theater is the realization of a lifelong passion for high-end audio and video.

“I’ve been into premium AV since high school, when I used to sell it at Best Buy,” he says. “This was my chance to build something truly next-level — and now, we get to experience it every weekend, right in our own home.”

From Dolby Atmos-fueled movie nights to football Sundays with synchronized, multi-zone screens, this basement is proof that home entertainment can be just as thrilling as a trip to the movies.

“This project is one of the most immersive, flawlessly integrated home entertainment spaces we’ve ever built,” says Hodgkins. “It’s a benchmark for what’s possible in home theater design.”

For the Grigg family, the once-empty lower level is now a permanent escape; a place where movies aren’t just watched — they’re felt.

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